Just about everybody knows J Geils as the leader of the rock band that created such popular hits as Centerfold, Freeze Frame and Love Stinks.

Just about everybody knows J Geils as the leader of the rock band that created such popular hits as Centerfold, Freeze Frame and Love Stinks. But not so many know that Geils, who died in April at 71, was a car guy who founded KTR Motorsports in Carlisle, Massachusetts, to service Ferraris and other mostly Italian exotics.

John “J” Geils also was an avid car collector who focused on his passion for Italian cars and motorcycles after the band broke up. In August, eight of the vehicles from his estate will be auctioned by Mecum at its sale in Monterey, California.

A 1967 Fiat Dino Spyder looks ready to run

Geil’s ex-wife, Kris Geils, who has had possession of the cars and bikes since the rocker’s death, said it’s time to pass them on to new enthusiasts.

“Our cars were always to be driven, not put on a pedestal,” she said. “We had some pretty astonishing vehicles over the years, a true privilege … Now it is someone else’s turn to enjoy those Jay still had.”

The five cars in the collection include a 1961 Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2, a 1967 Lancia Flaminia 2.8 3C, a 1967 Fiat Dino Spyder, plus two project cars that Geils had not yet gotten to: a 1958 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint competition car that Geils raced and which needs bodywork for its crash-damaged nose, and a 1966 Maserati Sebring that’s all apart.

1970 Ducati 350 Desmo

The three performance motorcycles, all from Italy, are a 1970 Ducati 350 Desmo, a 1977 MV Augusta 125 SS and a 1983 Benelli 900 SEI.

The Mecum auction will be held August 16-19 during the Monterey Peninsula’s famous week of collector car auctions and shows leading up to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. For information about the sale, visit Mecum’s website.